


I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

by Wyvern_Archive



Category: BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Mild Gore, Original Character-centric, Pining, Swearing, bna spoilers? i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25112041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wyvern_Archive/pseuds/Wyvern_Archive
Summary: "Wait, so you're immortal too?""Well yeah," he sighed, leaning back into the chair and turning his head away to hide his eyes. Still, he smiled and whispered "with how much blood I've spilt it was only a matter of time, yeah?"(aka i make characters for everything i like to daydream with and wanted to try writing it down for once)
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Ogami Shirou/Original character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 79





	1. It's A Little Suspicious, I'd Like To Know Some More

**Author's Note:**

> Aye, i tried.
> 
> Hope you have fun reading cause i definitely did when writing :P

In all honesty, Hisashi should have known something like this would've happened tonight. Still, it didn't stop him from hoping to have a nice time at the festival. 

At least he got so far. 

"Just how long is this going to take?" he called, sticking an arm out to stop the body flying past him from having a chance to escape - using the split moment the bastard was still in the air to kick him back to collide with his two comrades before taking a bite of festival food and humming at the flavor. 

Shirou didn't respond, apparently too busy. 

Hisashi sighed - face scrunching and fur ruffling itself under the thick coat. It quickly flattened out, however, as he hung back and watched, wondering just what the trio had done - the explosions were probably only part of it. Hisashi smirked gently to himself, leaning against the alley wall as he watched Shirou prowl towards the trio, taking a moment to bring his foot down on one's face. He squealed in pain. Another bite of the food he bought for himself, another longing look at the food he bought for Shirou. Maybe he wouldn’t mind if--

Long ears perked up at the cry for him to stop -- since when had that girl been there? No matter, he could catch up on the situation later, after the three beast men were dealt with. They could get back to the festival sooner if he helped out, he concluded, walking towards them.

That was if there wasn't a blinding blue light and a sudden burst of fur coming his way at the cry of the girl. Eyes wide, Hisashi made quick work of jumping up and grabbing a hold of the nearest leverage he could with the unoccupied hand and hauling himself up with as much strength as he could. The height gave him the chance to check the situation over. 

One Shirou, three unconscious beast men, and one tanuki girl. Young, she seemed, and what Hisashi thought to be a likely cause to… whatever that was. An eyebrow raised in question as he jumped down to land a short distance behind Shirou. 

"That's right, I'm a human!" the girl growled- Hisashi's face only scrunched in confusion as he stood in the red light and watched the girl glare an absolute barrage of daggers at the wolf between them, "At least I used to be!" 

"Then why do you look like that?" came Shirou's reply, completely monotone. Hisashi brought up a paw to stifle the giggles but the effort was in vain as he watched the wolf's ear swivel in his direction, the rest of his head quickly following. 

"Just how long have you been there? You could've helped out, y'know." He seemed annoyed but Hisashi only grinned, handing the snack he'd bought earlier over with a twirl and stood full height before the tanuki - smirking slightly as they locked eyes. 

"An interesting claim, little tanuki" he purred. 

"you're wrong, it's a raccoon," she protested with a pout, only making Hisashi pause for a moment before bursting into another fit of soft giggling, one hand reaching back to meet Shirou's arm just as he stopped beside them. 

"Raccoons have stripes on their tails, you're a tanuki for sure," he added only to the girls protest - causing Hisashi to fall further into his fit of giggling, now hunched over. 

He stopped abruptly, ear twitching and swivelling to the sound of sirens. Straightening his back, he announced to the others it was time to leave - already pulling paper and a marker out from the inside of the thick jacket, passing the note over and making his way up the wall - slowly, to keep an eye on the tanuki girl. 

Getting away from the scene usually wouldn't take so long but with the tag along there were… some complications - mainly due to the shorter legs the young girl had. Still, Hisashi had to give her credit, she was pretty fast for an ex-human (or so she claimed) so there wasn't too big of a time difference. 

That didn't mean he liked the fact the festival was over before he had the chance to enjoy it some more.

With a sigh, he morphed back to human, leaning against the alley wall and watching those still up in the early hour as he did so - their conversations fading from clear to simple murmurs, their heartbeats far too far away to hear. If he had a tail right now, it would have drooped but he settled for running a hand through his hair,retying it into a quick bun and trailing behind the others. At least he could hear the two arguing though he wasn't particularly paying attention to what was said. Likely about how she was still morphed. 

Hisashi smiled, a soft smile, eyes softening as he watched the scene before him unfold - ignoring the tightening in his chest.


	2. Dream a little dream of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hisashi hates the cold, yet often puts himself in it. At least he gets a bit of company sometimes, right?

Hisashi hated the cold. 

With the wind came the initial chill, that bone deep chill, made him scramble to grab the thick fabric of his jacket so he could bury himself before the worst came. He wasn't fast enough this time. Electricity ran up his spine and along his arms, bright orange fur hot on its tail. A gasp came through clenched fangs as he raised his muzzle and flattened his ears down, only to hide his face in the faux fur lining in the hood still settled on his shoulders. It took a moment to unfurrow his eyebrows.

Still, it could have been worse, he supposed - the night wasn't as cold this time of year as he knew it could be. It hadn't been this cold during the festival, right? He grumbled quietly, tail flicking once, twice, before he loosened up a little, leaning back against the wall. If it was truly that bad he could always go back inside. 

(He didn't want to wake anyone by going back inside) 

Another gust whistled past him but this time he didn't react, not even another gasp. With his eyes squeezed shut, long ears lifted and swivelled in every direction they could to pick up the soft sounds of the city. In his mind, he could picture the scenarios: a small car making its way by, two young women giggling in the streets, trying to stay quiet, and--

_ Badum-badum _

Four heartbeats nearby, calm and clear - resting paces. " _ Badum-badum"  _ they all said, each one singing its own sweet song to themselves, so private even the owners couldn't hear. Hisashi could. " _ Badum-badum, _ " they called out though the quiet night. " _ Badum-badum. _ " His paw came up to his own chest, over the jacket, to feel his own rhythm. he heard a new pace come along - footsteps. Heavy and even, calm and clear, unintentionally careful; it could only be one person. The rhythm under the jacket turned irregular, twisting painfully, yet he only opened his eyes and grinned. 

"What're you doing up so late?" he asked, voice low and soft - there were people trying to sleep after all . 

Shirou came to sit beside him, scoffing slightly "I could say the same for you, how long have you even been up here." Shirou passed mug over, steam still rolling in waves off the edge. Hisashi nodded in thanks and took a sip. 

"Not long," his grin grew, taking on a softer edge as they met eyes. It didn't hurt when Shirou gave a knowing look.  _ It didn't.  _ He wasn't an idiot, and neither was Shirou - the bags under his eyes were dark enough to prove otherwise. And it most certainly did not hurt when he looked away, taking a sip of his own drink. 

Hisashi's gaze was set on the drink in his hands, taking another sip - grin long gone.  _ Fuck _ , he had to change the subject, "So, that Michiru girl - I'm taking her to City Hall tomorrow, right?" 

He nodded, humming, "I'll be joining you for the way there. The mayor asked me to talk to her." Hisashi nodded, before slumping a little where he sat, "why do I have the feeling she'll run off," he sighed, head tilting up to watch the stars, "she seems like the type who'd rather use her head as a battering ram than think about what she'd getting into…" he took a a final gulp of his drink and sighed, content at the warmth finally flooding his body. 

A small huff caught him off guard, ears perking up again as he turned to see Shirou smirk, "Well we'll just have to deal with any trouble, then, won't we?" 

Hisashi smiled again, soft and warm, before standing up and stretching with a yawn, plopping back down ungracefully. 

"I guess you're right," he chuckled, "we do it often enough anyways. Business as usual, yeah?" 

"Yeah." Shirou stood, picking up both mugs and walking towards the door, "you coming? Being tired won't do you any good in trouble" 

"Ah~ that would be a good idea. Thank you, oh Grand One," Hisashi bowed slightly before joining him. 

"Don't mock me" 

"I'm not mocking, just playing, yeah?" he giggled, a paw over his mouth to stifle them, however ineffective. He opened the door to his room, turning his head to whisper, "'Night, Shirou," before closing the door and shedding his clothes, flopping onto the bed. 

Hisashi hated the cold but there was no point getting under the blanket - not when he knew he wouldn't sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a lot shorter than it turned out so it gets its own chapter. Got a little carried away


	3. Vibrant Red Of The Circuit Playing On My Spinal Cord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hisashi's plans to get information for the Mayor gets a little off the rails

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I'm gonna warn yall of a decent bit of gore coming up in this chapter? tags have been changes to let poeple know but i thought i'd put it here just in case
> 
> Hope ya'll enjoy :)

"Good afternoon, Mr. Makoto, what can I help you with today?" the lady at the desk, Katsuko, if he remembered correctly, smiled as he finally made his way to the front of the queue. One paw reached into the jacket and pulled out a neatly folded paper and slid it across the desk. 

"Nothing much today, just a residential paper that needs to be put though," he grinned back. 

"Oh? But there's no one with you…" 

Hisashi sighed at that, grin never faltering, "yeah, she ran off," a hand came up to rub the back of his neck, sheepish, "something about a stolen wallet." 

"Well, I hope she finds it. Have a nice day, Mr. Makoto" 

He bowed quickly as he left the queue, "You, too, yeah?" 

  
  


Chatter came from every direction in the bustling streets of Anima City, after all, beastmen flocked here on search of refuge. It was no wonder there were so many. Each street, open area, and back alley had at least  _ someone _ going about business, whatever their businesses might be. Food carts all over the place filled the air with so many scents a beast form wasn't needed to detect something at any time. 

(that caught his attention, immediately trotting over to the shortest queue and ordering whatever smelt the best) 

In summary, Anima City was a highly populated place. Yet, somehow, the subway tunnels were nearly barren. Sure, they were dangerous, anyone knew that, but Hisashi couldn't help but wonder where those who simply didn't care about danger went. 

Deep, rhythmic humming echoed throughout the endless labyrinthine of the underground, soft thumps of boots coming into contact with the concrete falling into the same beat. Hisashi's eyes, lazily half lidded, scanned around in the dark - he thanked whoever that his beast form could see so well, taking a final bite of the still-warm food in his paw. Another hum, though this one of content, and a satisfied sigh with hot air flowing from his mouth. 

His ears perked up at echoes of footsteps - an exact number wasn't clear with how it bounced off the walls. 

"Hey, what're you doing down here?" a man called out, clearly annoyed, to Hisashi's left. He only turned his head to examine them. Five in total, four with guns, all dressed in tailored suits. The man who called out stood to the front, much shorter than the others. 

He smiled. 

"Actually, I'm hoping you could help me with that," he turned to face them fully, arms busy with unzipping his coat and tossing it to the wall, away from the track. He shivered at just how cold it was. The five before him all morphed but he paid no mind. "I've heard word of weapon distribution down here - any idea where I can find out mo-" 

"Blast 'I'm!" The shortest (a mouse, he noted) ordered and, with that, the tunnel lit up. Hisashi did not move. The bullets locked on and hit the target, tearing through fabric and metal, splats of red mirroring the flashes of light from the guns before they painted the dull grey concrete. 

With a quiet  _ thump _ he crumpled to the ground. 

One beat, two, three beats, four. 

The mouse crossed his arms, turning to saunter back from where he came, smirking to himself. "What an idiot, he didn't even try to dodge," the others chuckled to themselves at that, but when silent. 

"Oh? So I'm an idiot, am I?" a paw landed on his shoulder, claws digging in through the fabric of his suit, as the words were whispered into his ear. Locked in place by the paw on his shoulders, he could only freeze in place as electricity ran down his spine. Hisashi didn't need to see his face to know what was written all over it. 

"Well I suppose it'd be helpful of you to spare some knowledge for me then, right?" He spun the mouse around, slamming him against the tunnel wall, watching him shake. The mouse didn't say anything. 

"What's wrong," he purred, smirk growing, "cat gotcha tongue?" The mouse shook his head, "Then start by giving your name, yeah?" 

"T-Tanaka," he jittered, eyes wide. Interrogating him was easy enough after that, though Hisashi would have  _ preferred  _ if he would have  _ stopped _ stuttering so damn much. No matter, the information was still the main goal and it was a small thing to deal with in the long run, so he supposed it wasn't that bad. 

His ears perked up, eyes darting to the now quaking tracks only a metre or two behind him. Looking back to the mouse, he saw his eyes were locked onto them. Tanaka had finally abandoned that wide-eyed fearful look, eyes now filled with determination as he pushed and kicked with what Hisashi guessed was all his might. 

His face scrunched in pain as his spine hit the metal track, head following to the concrete between within that very moment, skin splitting at the area of impact, red trickling slowly. He could hear the mouse talking to himself over how lucky he was "the final train hadn't come yet." Or something like that. It was getting harder to tell what he was saying as he walked away, getting further as the rumbling took over all Hisashi could hear, getting closer and closer. 

Somehow the whole thing reminded him of a song he'd heard. 

Rumbling slowly, eventually, faded away, leaving only its memory and the ringing through his ears relentlessly, he'd definitely have a headache later, if he didn't already, but he was thankful he had time to deal with the throbbing through his chest. With what strength he had, he reached and crawled to lay over flat ground, wheezing breaths through flattened and pierced lungs. Red splattered around him slowly followed him, sluggish at first but soon enough finding its own pace as veins and arteries alike slowly amended themselves, not long before his heart decided to move again. Pins and needles pricked along the inside of his skin, better than no feeling at all, he supposed. They finally reached his legs - now ceasing their useless twitching as the spine gave several sickening clicks while nerves knitted themselves back together. 

No wonder most people didn't come down here. 

All that was left was skin. No mind was paused to it as he stood, taking a moment to steady himself on shaking feet, and wobbled his way over to his coat. The warmth was always welcomed back. 

A sharp ringing cut though that already echoing in his ears. His phone. Shirou was calling….

… Not the best timing but--

"Heya Shirou, what's up?" He chirped, hoping his voice wasn't too off considering his entire throat had been payed open about ten minutes ago, hoping Shirou wouldn't pay any attention to it if it was. Apparently there was something going down in Rabbit Town. Michiru was involved because  _ of course  _ she was. A laugh escaped him at that. 

"Told you she'd do something lime this, didn't I?" He replied to Shirou's audible confusion. 

"Suppose you did. Meet me at the docks," he could hear the smirk in his voice before he hung up. Hisashi took a moment, standing in the stagnant silence, before he began walking to Rabbit Town. 

  
  


"So your telling me men are the great ones?" Michiru screamed as he finally made it to the scene, panting to himself as quietly as possible. He made a face, unsure what exactly had happened. 

What awkward timing. 

Still, it wasn't like he'd intervene if he'd shown up earlier; he didn't want to help dig graves,  _ "but I didn't bring a shovel," _ he would have joked if asked for help, yet it seemed neither of them had noticed him yet, not like Shirou would even if they had. At least he had a few moments to catch his breath, put on a smile. Or that would have been the case if the Chief hadn't come to stand next to him. Fuck was he tired.

" You look like you got hit by a truck, Makoto," he piped up after taking a moment to light a cigarette. 

He would have laughed, but could only rub the back of his neck, tangling his hand in hair - far more messy than he'd usually get. "Something like that," he sighed instead, quickly walking off before anything could be asked. He heard the chief grumble to himself as he walked off. 

"And where were you?" Shirou scolded, face not moving. 

Hisashi chuckled, patting his shoulder, "I had some things to wrap up when you called me, sorry it took so long. Besides," he perked up, abandoning his tired slouch and smiled wide, "you had it under control, yeah?" 

"Well you could have at least let me know you'd be late. Lazy cat, " he huffed already walking off. Michiru had already left for the co-op. 

"First of all, I'm a caracal. At least get it right," he called, recovering from the fact he was pretty sure Shirou Ogami was  _ teasing him  _ and jogging to catch up, " _ Second  _ of all, like your much better, you melodramatic wolf," he took a moment to purposely bump into his side before moving forward, not slowing his pace. 

His eyes widened at that, head snapping to the caracal, already picking up his pace, "since when have I been 'melodramatic'?" 

"You've seriously never heard yourself, have you?" Hisashi laughed, smiling genuinely, "'Since you've lost your pride as a beastman you have no need for the pride of a deer,' 'you don't deserve my claws the only thing you're getting is my fists'" he quoted with a terrible impression and miming to add the cherry on top. 

"you heard that?" The look on the wolf's face was enough to make him forget the rest of the day entirely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HO boy was this one fun to write, hence the longer chapter that im hopefully gonna make more common (ngl the gore was fun to write. Perks of an immortal character, i suppose.)
> 
> Also! I think it might be important to mention that i'm mainly an artist so if you wanna see what Hisashi looks like:  
> https://twitter.com/DragonSubway/status/1280281348469596161


	4. Not A Record Player But On My Nerves And Veins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hisashi has a Clusterfuck of a day

Steam rolled along the floor as Hisashi opened the door, damp paws padding along the wood when he heard screaming quickly coming his way. Frozen with bewilderment, he could only watch as Shirou dragged Michiru through the hall and into the study. He sighed with a small grimace. 

It was too early for this. 

Still, he found himself following the pair and coming though the door just in time to watch Shirou push the final piece of furniture against a door. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again after a beat, "What exactly are you doing?" 

"It's for the good of beastmen," was all he got, Shirou looking away with a huff. How childish, Hisashi thought to himself, chucking as he leant against the door frame, only just noticing the plastic card being thrown his way in time to catch it. Michiru's student ID? As in the one she was fussing over so much yesterday? He looked up to Shirou only to find he was looking away. With a small shrug, he raised it to his nose - more to confirm than anything else - and took a deep breath. 

Definitely human. 

"Oh? Are you rearranging your office this morning? Looks exhausting," came a voice next to him, a jolt of surprise running up his spine in a split second - yet he relaxed upon seeing it was the Mayor. A paw came up to stifle the giggle as Michiru started yelling, effectively becoming less and less effective with every excuse Shirou gave the Mayor - eventually doubling over as he reluctantly pulled every piece of furniture back to its regular spot. 

"you could help, you know," he offered, yet Hisashi only held his paws up with a smirk. 

"Why would I do that?" He teased, "you seemed fine putting it there earlier, surely you'd be able to do it again." 

Shirou's little huff made his morning 

  
  
  


The car ride was silent, the couple of police officers not driving sipping at their cups of coffee. At least the humming engine was enough to listen to, Hisashi considered, though he would have much rather made his own way to the next site they were supposed to visit - dashing on all fours through the tight back alleys of Anima City, leaping along the pipes and wires connecting each building. It's what he was used to. Still, the others insisted he join them in the car so they could arrive at the same time and despite the shower his back  _ did  _ still ache just a little more than comfortable from yesterday, so he'd agreed. 

Not like anyone knew that, though. 

The first two bombs had been easy enough to find, that steady tick tick ticking gave their position easily enough he almost wondered why they needed him. Perhaps they just couldn't hear it. He'd never bothered to ask if they'd be able to. 

"So, Makoto, how long have you been working with Ogami? I've never seen you around before," came a voice to his right, her tongue an efficient blade when cutting though his thoughts. 

"Al song as I've been living in Anima City, so I'd say a little less than seven years now. Working with the police isn't something I do often so I don't blame you on that," he smiled at her. Her eyes became wide, wondering aloud, "So what is it you usually do? Fight the gang? Settle disputes?" 

He laughed a soft laugh at that, waving a hand in dismissal as the other went to tug his hair, "nothing like that! Mainly just errands and other boring stuff. I prefer not to fight unless needed, yeah? That's more Shirou's thing." 

She seemed disappointed, dissatisfaction seeping into her eyes as she tried to look polite when nodding in faux understanding. Things seemed like they were going to be returning to how they were for the rest of the ride until her eyes snapped open. 

" Wait, so you're on a first name basis with him?" 

Heat crawled up to dust the tips of Hisashi's ears, a faint pink line settling along his cheeks, barely viable. "Oh, yeah," he began, a little caught off guard, " it's not like he dislikes it, why wouldn't I?" 

"It just seems awfully casual for someone like Shirou," her voice had something in it Hisashi didn't like, "you two must obviously be good friends, or something more perhaps? " 

"Wha-" he stammered, head snapping to the lass beside him - far too relaxed looking for his liking as she rested a finger on her chin, clearly far too busy with her own train of thought. 

"Yamaguchi, leave the guy alone," came a sigh from the passenger seat. He'd almost forgotten there were others in the car. "He's just here to do a job, not spill his life to you, so zip it." 

Yamaguchi only huffed and mumbled something about only asking. 

One of his hands went to tug the edge of his hood up until it covered his head, turning to look out the window while he fished out his phone from an inside pocket. Shaking fingers tapped at the screen to write the message - just a quick few words saying how they were on the way to the last of their bombs. 

The only time his phone rang after that was just after he'd finished locating the bomb. It buzzed softly, a nice contrast to the tick tick ticking behind him, and he'd  _ thought _ it was Shirou, probably wanting an update or something, but no. His eyebrow raised in confusion as he read the caller ID.

"Whats up, Kit?" 

He almost dropped the phone as Michiru yelled through the speaker, instead holding it away from him, ears pinned tightly to the back of his head, taking a moment to process what was said before asking, "and where are you?" 

What on earth was she doing at the medical centre? Actually, no, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. Sparing a quick glance to the others on the scene, he met eyes with Yamaguchi and motioned to the phone and gave a quick gesture saying how he needed to go. She nodded and without a second thought he was off. 

Turning into a back alley, he made his way up the walls and onto the roof. His heart pounded in his rib cage in time with each step he took, low to the ground and leaping along each gap there was. By the time he'd found Michiru, she'd already been cornered by a small group - no doubt the 'weirdos' she'd been yelling about before. 

Hisashi landed behind them silently. Rising from his crouch, he took a set forwards and placed his paw on the presumable leader's shoulder, claws digging through the fabric. He internally relished in the way the hyena jumped. 

"Excuse me, it seems like you have a problem here. Could I be of assistance?" his tone was sickeningly sweet, over the top to amplify just how much he didn't mean it. When the beastman turned around, now growling low, he caught the fist without effort and gave him a closed eyed smile faker than a half yen coin. Using the chance, he took a moment to squeeze the fist in his paw until a satisfactory crack was heard; the distraction of pain made it easier to throw him in the best direction. That direction just so happened to be in line with a couple of his friends coming his way. What a lovely coincidence! Using the momentum from throwing, he swung around and kicked low at an oncoming set of legs, quickly leading them to stumble and grab at the closest thing he could. With Hisashi now out the way that thing was another of the group. 

"If I find you've so much as scratched the kit," he announced, smile long gone, "you'll be glad we're in a medical facility." 

The way they yelled while running was almost nice to listen to. 

Hisashi sighed, shoulders slumping, before turning to Michiru with a soft smile - far more genuine than before. "You alright, Kit?" He asked, eyes scanning for any injuries. That's when the yelling began again. 

Her anger was understandable, though amplified in a way that suited her. He only chuckled to himself a little bit, picturing steam coming from her ears. 

"Yeah, he doesn't exactly pick up often unless it's they mayor," he explained, hoping she'd calm down a little before someone heard them, "next time something happens just call me, yeah?" She nodded at that, already walking to pick up the phone on the floor. He grimaced a little at the crack along the dark glass. 

"Oh, speak of the devil," he chimed softly, holding an arm out for Kuro to land on before he hopped up onto Hisashi's shoulder - feathers fluffing up and settling a few times.

"Sorry for showing up late, Kuro told me what was happening. It seems you've already dealt with it, though," the wolf began, "Why were those guys chasing you?" 

Hisashi hung back a moment while the other two walked on, ears perked as he surveyed the area. It would be a problem if they had to fight any more of the gang. With his eyes closed he focused on only the sound around him, ears turning to pick up anything they could. Only two heartbeats could be heard; good. They twitched and swivelled as his name was called, head following a moment after as his eyes opened - "Coming!" 

Thunderous booming rattled his skull and made his ears ring as they pinned themselves against his skull. He only stopped for half a beat, taking off in a sprint towards the sound, not pausing when the other two stopped. They'd catch up. 

  
  
  


One thing Hisashi couldn't help but focus on was just how  _ erratic  _ Mr. Yaba's heartbeat was. Almost nervous. He guessed it made sense, a bomb had just gone off in his building, perhaps only a few rooms over, but something was just… off about it. Maybe it was how it contrasted the annoyed voice he'd used. Hisashi had a feeling it was something more than faux confidence. It was only after he'd left far enough he couldn't hear until he voiced his thoughts, though was quickly shut down. Hisashi crossed his arms close, leaning against some debris. 

"Even you missed this one, Ogami," the chief's voice was soft, almost comforting. 

"I traced all the bombs but this one didn't appear. How's that possible?" He wondered to himself

"I don't think we should rule out the possibility of the bomb being laid out  _ after  _ You tracked them down," Hisashi chimed in, "the bomber hasn't been found yet, after all" 

Shirou hummed and closed his eyes, taking a moment. The caracal sighed softly to himself, eyes closing and arms tightening in their cross. There was a faint phone ring a little way away but only for a moment. His ears twitched as he heard Shirou morph back, mumbling to himself. 

No scent? 

Yaba's heartbeat sounded even weirder this time around - a nervous twang to it that only got worse as the explanation went on. Perhaps that's why he was sweating so much. 

It dawned on him in that moment exactly what that phenomenon he heard was as the killing blow of evidence was revealed. 

Guilt.

But it was too late, the doctor had already morphed and charges towards the four of them. Hisashi put himself between him and Michiru as a shield yet failed to realise in time that she'd ready been grabbed - he cursed his focus on Yaba, he should have been able to detect him dammit. 

"Nobody move or I'll kill her," it wasn't something he could comply with right now, now the rhino's target. He jumped up onto his oncoming fist and jumped again, pushing it into the ground. Instead of releasing himself he yelled for the chameleon to get out. Hisashi's head snapped to the chief, nodding to each other in mutual agreement. The chief left to follow him, calling for backup. Hisashi got ready for incoming attacks yet received none. Only shattered glass. 

Shirou was already up, sprinting past him and jumping out the whole Yaba had made. The caracal was not far behind, jumping down to each walkway and covering the exit Shirou couldn't himself. 

It was over in moments. 

Hisashi nearly had time to comment but Shirou was already off. It wasn't much of a wonder where he was going, not when he could hear Michiru screaming. 

He turned to the officers behind him, "we need to get down, quickly" he said, already sprinting off himself without waiting - cursing the maze of a medical facility. Too many turns. Too many bends. Too slow elevators making his blood boil in anticipation. 

He was in time to see the pair crash into the ground, though he didn't stop at the stairs like the officers - nearly sprinting when he saw Shirou stumble. He wormed his way under his arm, stopping when Shirou did. 

"What are you doing? I'll be fine," he groaned.

Hisashi huffed, letting himself be petty and huff, sending a gentle glare his way. "you'll be fine sooner if you put less strain on yourself, dumb-ass," he chided, "protest again and I'll carry you instead." He huffed in response, his head turning away, "there's no way yo-" 

He didn't have time to finish as Hisashi had already begun to move, dipping with two paws on him - one on his back and the other busy securing his legs - and was quickly lifted. He felt Shirou tense. "Put me down," he demanded, voice stern and clearly annoyed. Hisashi ignored his demands entirely, simply laughing gently. 

It wasn't like he could try anything right now. After all, Hisashi's beast form was bigger than Shirou's human one and Hisashi was more than sure they both knew he was too tired to shift right now.

"Say, Michiru, you enjoying your room so far?" it was the first thing that came to mind, a simple way of keeping occupied while simultaneously shutting down any more of the mumbling next to his ear. She caught on, a wicked, childish grin splitting her face with joy as she joined in. 

He only felt Shirou sigh to himself once the entire walk home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this ended up taking longer than expected. then again, it IS longer than i originally meant to write so 
> 
> also!! my chapter titles are references to different songs so if you a) wanna have a guess or b) want me to put the links to the song at the end of each chapter lemme know down below, k?


	5. The Wind Blows Loudest When You've Got Your Eyes Closed

"It's not often I see you, Makoto. Tell me, did you take my advice? I don't usually give it for free," the mink seemed far too happy with herself for Hisashi, not long since woken up. 

Yes, that piece of advice, or what she claimed to be, at least, was still as fresh in his memory as the day she'd told him it. Problem was he still didn't quite understand what she meant by it. No matter. 

Instead of answering her teasing, he got straight to the point. "I need a boat, Itami, you have one," he explained, voice still a little messy from fatigue, "Shirou's gonna be here in a little bit, we wait for him, yeah?"

Her smirk was not something he liked, not as she rambled on with something he knew was an exaggeration at best - taking the chance to bite as much of the only-just-warm meatbun in his hand. 

"You know I don't do this stuff for free so you better have plans of paying me. That or you could just add it to your tab I'm sure-" 

He froze for a moment at that, thoughts focusing in on those words. "My what?" He asked, only for Itami to smirk, "yes," she began, a hand waving as she turned away from him, "that tanuki girl said to start one in your name. You didn't know?" He had half a mind to be annoyed with her but he could only sigh, pushing down the temptation to curl into his coat. 

"How much?" he sighed, digging inside his coat and handing over the amount she'd said he'd owe - including the rest of the tab; he made sure to mention Michiru couldn't use him to pay anymore. At least it wasn't too big. A yawn escaped him before he shook himself a little more awake, after all, it wouldn't exactly be a good thing for him to fall asleep before they'd dealt with the very problem he'd been woken up for. 

And on the few times he'd actually fallen into a comfy doze, too . 

Granted, an old chair like that wasn't exactly the best of places to fall asleep, especially while sitting improperly like he had been. Hell, Hisashi had first thought the reason he'd been woken up was so he could move somewhere better, get the book off his lap before it could drop and wrap up in a nice thick blanket. But no. The universe was not that kind, it seemed, so here he was. Sitting about three feet away from the most  _ irritating _ mink he'd ever met (though he wouldn't admit she was the only mink he'd met), meatbun completely gone. 

"You didn't answer my question, Makoto, and we have some time to chat. So spill," she grinned, leaning back with both arms spread out along the side of the boat and legs lazily crossed, head tilted back while she gazed at him; the very image of smugness. 

" I don't even know what it means, 'you should get that,' get what, exactly?" He huffed gently, leaning back himself, though more to lean into the warmth of his coat - arms crossed to keep the warmth in. Sunset brought a chill. She only laughed at that, to which he turned his head away to hide the small blush dusting his cheeks. 

"You really are clueless, aren't you?" she howled, doubling over and slapping her leg once or twice. Hisashi shoved down the urge to wipe the grin off her face, instead opting to change form in hopes of concealing the heat that crawled up his face, still turned away as she waited for her to finish her antics. 

It wasn't long until Shirou came aboard, not bothering to question why exactly the woman had been laughing, just bringing his phone up. Probably to call the kit, telling her where they'd be. He didn't sound happy. 

_ "do you even know what he sounds like when happy?"  _ some part of him whispered, it's claws deciding to dig into somewhere under his ribcage. The pain eased a little as Shirou sat opposite him, where Itami had been before, something bitter smelling and warm now next to him. Hisashi took the paper cup in paw before it spilled, morphing back into his human form with a quiet thanks. 

As he sipped his coffee, he took a moment to think just where it came from - the logo on the cup looked unfamiliar besides the few times Shirou had been the one to grab their drinks, then grinned. "You always know where the good stuff is," he hummed, "you wanna tell me where it is or keep the mystery to yourself?" Shirou opened his eyes, bringing the cup down for a moment to ask if it really mattered. Hisashi let out a breath with a little laugh, perhaps it didn't. 

He didn't know when he closed his eyes despite the caffeine but when they opened, two more had shown up - one being the kit herself, the other likely the one they'd been sent to retrieve in the first place. She looked distressed and tired. It wasn't his place to ask what happened so he just closed his eyes again and listened to the breeze somewhere behind him, unable to drift off once more.

It was strange, how soft a breeze could sound when distant, yet caused such a wretched chill that seeped to the bones when up close. 

"You aren't coming back with us, Hisashi?" Michiru piped up, seeing him walk off in a different direction. He turned, still walking a little bit, waving a hand in dismissal, "I've got some things to do, and I'm too awake to go back to sleep. Might as well get a head start, yeah?" 

"I mean, okay, but you're seriously leaving me with him?" 

"'fraid so, little kit, now I'd suggest catching up with him, considering he's already leaving"

"wha-" her head snapped around to spy Shirou, already a fair distance away. She yelled a final goodnight as she ran to catch up with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an utter bunch of nonsense but i was bored while my computer was busy doing things


	6. I Don't Know Just Yet Who He Takes Me To Be And I Don't Wanna Spoil His Impression Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hisashi meets with some friends for both work and a good vent (followed by education)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these chapters only take like a few hours to write, is the getting to the writing bit that takes so long '-_-

The door opened with a soft creek, a pair of boots thumping gently with each step across the wooden floor. Hisashi blinked to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting after wandering so long in the unlit streets as he sat at the bar - humming gently as he leaned on his crossed arms. A cloth dropped to his left though he didn't bother to look up to meet the bartenders bright eyes. A nice blue, if Hisashi recalled properly, matched his pale fur - all to be expected of a snow leopard. 

"It's been a while, Makoto," he began with a soft tone, already bobbing down to grab a glass, "what will it be?" 

Hisashi smiled a little, golden eyes trailing the small, invisible circles his claw was making on the bar, "Just some water, please," he looked up and grinned at the other feline, "and some answers if you will." 

The bartender sighed at that, shoulders slumping as he walked over to the tap, "What is it now?" 

"Aw c'mon, Tokoyami, it's nothing much," he began, laughing softly at the annoyed look that was probably supposed to be a glare. Water nearly tipped over the edge of the glass with the force it was put down with. 

"Last time you said that I had to replace the door," he grumbled but pulled up a stool on his side anyways, "If it happens again you're paying for it." 

"What? Like it's  _ my _ fault they kicked me through it," Hisashi protested, only half actually annoyed. He knew it was fair. "Anyways," he smiled, reaching into his jacket and pulled out a photo, "You know who this is?" 

They got to talking after that. Questions were both answered and raised over the span of a half hour or so, the fact Hisashi would have to trail some leads becoming more apparent. With all the information he could get, Hisashi grinned at the snow leopard in thanks, "guess I should actually buy something for bothering you, eh? The usual, please." Soon enough there was a small glass of whiskey slid along the well polished wood. Claws tapped idly along the detailed sides of the glass, a fingertip running along the glass' edge - only pausing when he grasped it gently and raised it to take a quick sip. 

"Your coat smells stronger than usual," Tokoyami piped up after a few minutes of silence, voice laced with something akin to  _ knowing  _ that made Hisashi's heart rate pick up  _ just that little bit _ , turning his head from his phone to meet eyes with Hisashi - at least, he would have if the caracal hadn't ducked his head away with the express purpose of avoiding eye contact. Why did he feel so… so nervous? 

"Really?" He asked, taking a moment to confirm despite already knowing there was no need. "I guess we've been a bit closer than usual, physically, I mean - job stuff," his mind had the bright idea to replay all the times he'd playfully bumped into the wolf, the small exchanges with him, and suddenly Hisashi was all the more grateful for the fur on his face. His ears twitched and pinned back, Tokoyami's ears glancing at them for a moment before putting his phone down, humming in disbelief. 

_ There's no need for that _ , Hisashi thought to himself. 

"Just job stuff?" Hisashi did not like the eyebrow raised his way. 

" _ Mainly  _ job stuff, its-" he sighed, taking a moment to get the right words, not that he usually could but he tried, "I don't know, Toko', it's like I can't do anything but joke around him, y'know? I wanna make friends, talk to him properly but," what exactly  _ was it  _ that happened? Hisashi had had--  _ has  _ friends, people in his life besides the wolf and yet it had never been so  _ utterly difficult  _ to pull words from his mouth before."It's like my mind goes into panic mode, wants to do the best thing but I  _ don't know  _ what that is with him and I'm too  _ scared _ to do anything that'd cause him to move away… I don't wanna spoil any good impression he has of me, y'know?" Hisashi sighed, sliding down to lay his head on his arms and most certainly not taking a deep breath of the scent still lingering in the fabric to calm him down. After a moment, he turned to look at Tokoyami, "Odd," was all the snow leopard supplied but it was all the caracal needed, arms splaying out (narrowly missing the half full glass of whiskey) as emphasis as he half yelled, "I know, right? I swear my stomach does  _ backflips  _ whenever I try to actually talk to him, nevermind when he actually talked to me, and the thought of bothering him is just-" he sat up quickly, arms in the air with an annoyed noise as he flopped back down. 

"Are you done?" Tokoyami asked, head raising off the paw holding it up. Hisashi did not like that bored tone but nodded anyway. "Well, for starters, I think you're looking at it the wrong way," he began, "from what you've described now and the last few times you came over it's safe to say you've got a crush on this co-worker of yours, high-schooler style. " Hisashi raised his head, tilting it inquisitively, genuine curiosity laced tightly in his voice. 

"A what?" 

"You really don't know what a crush is? And here I thought you were just avoiding the topic " came the high pitched but soft voice from the door, one the caracal recognised quite easily, already prepared for the wing slung over his shoulder, pushing down the urge to shift it off, especially as her feathers played idly with the faux fur lining along the hood. She was just being friendly. 

"Evening, Dachi, how ya been?" He knew the diversion wouldn't work this time but  _ damn it  _ he had to at least  _ try _ . 

"Never mind all that," the barn owl began as Hisashi tried to keep his balance while she pulled him into a side hug, "we're going to teach you the ins and outs of romance, right, Toko'?" 

The feline took a moment to glance at the clock, then at the door before he stood up, "Sure, just let me close up shop," he agreed, already morphing back to his human form, Dachi quickly following as she finally sat down on a stool herself - a wide grin splitting her face that would have seemed dangerous if Hisashi didn't already know she'd nearly hurt a fly. 

"C'mon, Makoto, whatcha hiding in your fur for, scaredy cat," she teased. Hisashi sighed and took a moment to calm the heat on his face (with little success) before morphing back, picking up the half filled glass and swallowing the remaining whiskey in one go. 

This was going to be an informative night, but most certainly a long one. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Like he had the chance to learn about romance the normal way
> 
> Maybe one day I'll draw Tokoyami and Dachi
> 
> for now come chat to me on tumblr, twitter, or instagram (all under the name Dragon Subway), yeah?

**Author's Note:**

> the main reason i did this was cause i thought "Why the hell not" 
> 
> hope yall enjoyed


End file.
